Jordanian elections: Islamists first group in parliament

Today's news: HILSA diplomacy between India and Bangladesh ends; South Korea approves the construction of two nuclear reactors; Practices to limit over-tourism in Japan work; Hundreds of sexually abused children rescued in Malaysia; Time zone problems in Kazakhstan.

JORDAN

The Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, won 31 seats out of 138, becoming the leading party in the Jordanian parliament, a historic result for the Islamists who support Hamas. ‘The Jordanian people have given us their trust by voting for us. This new phase will increase the weight of the party's responsibility to the nation and our citizens,’ said Wael al Saqqa, head of the IAF. In Jordan, a monarchy, parliament has a limited role.

INDIA - BANGLADESH

The ‘hilsa diplomacy’ (a prized fish that only the wealthy can afford) between India and Bangladesh is over after the interim government in Dhaka decided to ban its export to West Bengal, despite the fact that the season of some of the most important religious festivals is imminent. ‘The previous government would lift the ban during the Durga Puja festival. This time I don't think we will have to give a gift otherwise our people will not be able to eat the fish,' said Farida Akhter, advisor to the Bangladesh Fisheries Ministry.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea's Nuclear Safety Commission has granted a construction permit for two new nuclear reactors on the east coast. This is the first permit issued since 2016, when Moon Jae-in's government decided to review the national energy policy, halting several projects.

JAPAN

The number of people who climbed Mount Fuji in one night dropped by 90% compared to last year, thanks to the local government's installation of a gate between the main stations to combat over-tourism and accidents among inexperienced climbers. The number of foreign climbers, on the other hand, increased to 42% of the total with over 53,000 people.

MALAYSIA

The Malaysian authorities have recovered more than 400 children allegedly sexually abused in homes run by an Islamic organisation called Global Ikhwan Services and Business (GISB), which is active in various business sectors, but which in turn is allegedly linked to a Malaysian religious sect banned in 1994. GISB denied the allegations, but according to preliminary investigations, the minors were children of employees taken shortly after birth.

RUSSIA

The drafting of the new ‘multi-ethnic State’ project by Vladimir Putin is nearing completion in Russia, in which all citizens of Russia will only have to recognise Russian as their ‘mother tongue’, while all other languages will be defined as ‘foreign’, with very limited powers of use because ‘only Russian unites all our peoples’.

KAZAKHSTAN

One of the consequences of the equalisation of the time zone throughout Kazakhstan is the reduced length of days in the eastern part, which is why the trade unions and a large part of public opinion are pushing for a revision of working hours, at least trying to vary the times of entry and end of the day.

• Asia
• Today